


How Not to Cope With Death

by Incoherentbabblings



Series: Tumblr Ask Game Prompts [6]
Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Wakes & Funerals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27013591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Incoherentbabblings/pseuds/Incoherentbabblings
Summary: Crystal worked at a hospital and Stephanie should have guessed - that in Gotham City - that put a giant target on her back. Stephanie has never been very good at dealing with the death of a parent, let alone the one who actually loved her.
Relationships: Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake
Series: Tumblr Ask Game Prompts [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970230
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	How Not to Cope With Death

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:  
>    
> _When one stops the kiss to whisper “I’m sorry, are you sure you -” and they answer by kissing them more._

The funeral had been surprisingly large. Crystal Brown had for the past decade, in the process of turning her life around, built quite a circle of friends, both within and out of her hospital. The hospital which was now a burnt-out wreck. 

It seemed only fitting to Tim, that Crystal had died doing the same thing as her daughter, saving lives.

Stephanie found no comfort in this fact. 

Stephanie had held her mother whilst Crystal died, and there had been no consoling her in the aftermath.

When she was having one her angry fits in the days that followed, hours would pass where she would kick tables and flinch violently away from embraces and slam doors, she would rant and in general make a racket. Every word was pouring with guilt. When Tim had tried to empathize, she had rejected it utterly.

“No, you don’t get it!” she had cried out. “I can’t feel sad. I can’t. Not when I did the same to her, left her to grieve and mourn except it was all a _fucking_ lie. And now she’s gone and I’m still here and I…”

Tim had nothing to say to that, and she had slammed another door shut, locking herself in the spare room. Broken sobbing has echoed through their apartment, but Tim ensured he stayed put for it all. He wouldn’t leave her by herself.

Somehow, she had managed to get through the funeral. Bruce – to his complete credit – had taken charge, namelessly making all relevant arrangements whilst understanding that Crystal probably wouldn’t have wanted him there. Stephanie had given a brief speech, had started to cry part of the way through, and then pulled herself together enough to finish. Once she had, she then sat down and stared at her feet for the rest of the service.

Tim had reached for her hand, but she had tugged it back, feeling she was not worth the comfort. 

That night, after she had been forbidden from going on patrol for at least a week, she sat in bed, half under the covers, propped up by the large number of pillows she favoured. Tim watched her from the foot of the bed as she stared at nothing.

Finally, she blinked, and looked up at him. The tightness in Tim’s chest lessened a bit as she held out a hand, begging for him to come over. Relieved that he was allowed to touch her, he clambered onto the bed and under the sheets, holding her hand so tight that their knuckles were turning white. She leant down a little, resting her head on Tim’s chest. Listening to the solid ba-bump of his strong heart. Her breathing wobbled. With his other hand, Tim tentatively stroked her hair, doing it more firmly and regularly when he saw her start to relax with him.

They sat in silence for a long time, only the bedside lamp providing any light. Eventually, she looked up at him.

Selfishly, Tim thought of how pretty she looked. She shifted upwards, moving to be resting more on top of him.

She leant in closer, and Tim kissed her. She whimpered and pulled herself closer, trying to join them together. Tim’s feeling of guilt took over then, and he broke away.

“I’m sorry, are you sure you –”

Stephanie cut him off by kissing him hard. Tim remained a little stiff, not sure if she actually wanted to, or was just looking for a distraction.

She moaned a little out of frustration, then bit his lower lip, tugging on it

“Please,” she breathed into his mouth. “Wanna forget. Just for a bit.”

With that Tim cradled her and pulled her fully onto his lap. She probably wasn’t in the right frame of mind to want to do this, but she was grieving, and Tim couldn’t deny her it. Not the evening after the funeral.

She’d get through this, Tim swore to himself. She would.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr 14th February 2020.


End file.
